Rx7 Starter Relay
Alma Wass
HHhhmmmm.... Mine has blue, gray and 1 black relay. The fact that is is from Canada may make a difference since we have DTRL legislation, exhaust component legislation and stringent clean air legislation. California cars like Precise1's and the rest of the crew is the same.
Anyway, mine on the driver's side ( behind the canister; run (from the outside in)) as 1 black, 1 gray, 1 blue and 3 blue ones on the passenger side outside of the box: 2 in front of it and 1 behind with one extra unused relay nearest to the firewall.
Do you have a interlock switch on your dash? The schematic doesn't specify. It only shows signal to the starter solenoid directly from the ignition switch. I've ignition switches go bad in same year maximas. I've found the best way to check that is to wiggle the key back and forth when it is turned to the start/crank position, if it starts to crank it indicates poor contact internal the ignition switch. If it's the starter motor smacking it with a hammer and a long extension while having a buddy try to crank. If it starts turning it after smacking it that points to the starter motor or solenoid. But be really careful to not arc out the battery cables at the solenoid. That's about the best I can tell you.
Typically if a fuse was the issue it would not be an intermittent issue,it would all the time. Nissan schematics are kind of odd, the only power source for the starter solenoid I can see would be through the ignition switch, getting power from a fusible link at the battery, which is why I'm wondering if he has an interlock switch . That adds a little more to look at in the schematic.
True and I read that you said 'getting power from a fusible link at the battery' so that might be the intermittent issue. Try putting the ignition to ACC then jiggle the fusible link while turning the key to see if it makes any buzzing noise.
The start signal from the ignition switch goes to the immobilizer unit. The wire coming out of the immobilizer unit goes straight to the starter solenoid, via the big weird round connector near the left side hood latch.
OK, thanks. Sounds like the car is a goner, then. It has other issues, and apparently some rust. The MINI dealer - I'm familiar with them, and they're decent - suggested she junk it. She already has a newer car so they are not just trying to get her to buy one.
The ignition switch controls the starter directly just like a car from the 50s Although while I do suppose that it is possible that the immobilizer unit doubles as a solid state relay, the sheer number of high current wires floating around suggests otherwise.
It's been 10 years since I worked on the starter relay for this Coach. But for some reason, I have forgotten the location. Anyone remember which compartment the Starter Relay is located behind. 2002 Monaco Diplomat 40 PST, 330 Cummins??
In the rear compartment, passenger side, there are three relays. A part of the electrical is for the air intake heater, as I recall. But, the first relay has a couple of white wires attached to it, and as I think and recall, this may be the one that had the loose wire on it that caused the starter to intermittently work. I will try to post a picture of it. Do you recall what type of starter relay Monaco used for your Coach?
This is the Panel I am trying to figure out, mentioned above. I have looked all around the engine compartment and tried to follow the starter wires which went into a large wire bundle near the battery compartment. So, I don't think the relay is in the engine compartment.
I going to get the DW to turn the key on and see if I hear the starter solenoid click in, and then take the bottom small white wire off and see if it still makes contact or not. The reason I am looking for the starter solenoid is that on another Forum a poster said he had a problem with the starter solenoid getting hot while running which shut his coach down. Since I have been chasing this problem since 2018, I am desperate to find the culprit, so I am down to replacing parts. Until I find the issue. Thanks for your help.
OK, thanks for the confirmation. Had hoped to get back and check the circuit today, but it now will be Friday. That relay looks rather small from what I remembered. Of course it has been 10 years since last looking at it. Take care. David.
OK. That is the starter relay that I thought might be suspect, based on a previous post that I read. However, the way Monaco set up the starting system, once the engine cranks, the relay and starter solenoid drop out of the system, as I understand the wiring. Just checked for power to the relay with key on, and for instantaneous power during key cranking. All of this seems to be working properly. And no power to relay with engine running, So when the engine dies, the dash power should not be affected by the starter relay circuit, as one poster has suggested.
There is however, a problem of some magnitude in the Front Electrical Panel. When your open that compartment, there is and has been a faint smell of burnt wiring. I thought it was maybe from the burnt sockets we replaced back in 2018, but all of that material was removed. That I suppose is my next target. I will have to loosen all of the wire bundles and look for a circuit breaker or something that may be causing a circuit breaker of either a coil to open when it gets hot. Wish me luck. Thanks..
Still searching for potential short, but the only thing I can find that has burnt smell is the Latch Relay(ordered a new one) in the front electrical panel. I have not had any losses of instruments that should be powered by the Latch Relay, and as I understand the function of the Latch Relay, it is "Coach Battery Electrical." I wouldn't think it could be associated with the Dash Instrument Panel going dark when the engine dies.
I will most definitely check the starter itself. It was just so strange how it quit but the car had sat for quite some time in a collection before my friend acquired it so it is possible that now it has been called upon to work, it decided to give up the ghost.
Paul mentioned bad ground.
The ground end of the start relay coil goes to the inhibit microswitch on the auto shift lever. The lever must be in park to complete the ground.
A common mistake is to forget about the lever, or ( less common ) have a bad microswitch.
The microswitch is not your common or garden $1 type you can buy in a bazaar in Timbuctoo, that would have easily done the job.
It is a special Lucas one.
On the ignition switch topic, once had an intermittent start problem with the 1979 coupe. Found a very small hole in the side of the ignition switch.
Inserted a good dose of WD40 or similar and cured the problem.
The Lucas starter is not the easiest thing to take off the engine, eliminate all other possible failure modes first. The starters are robust but on an 88 car could be an end of life situation.
I have rebuilt a couple of them, just needed a major clean and adjustment of the solenoid throw out, now good for another 30 years and 200,000km.
That does take at least 3 hours, so for most people cheaper to buy a new geared starter.
A common Lucas starter failure is the soldering of the light gauge solenoid winding to the terminal on the end of the solenoid body. They just fracture with vibration and age. An easy fix once you get the solenoid off the starter body, but that means taking the starter off the engine first.
Check white/yellow on starter relay is at +14V in START position.
If yes, then Lucas start relay is suspect and can be replaced with other brands too.
If not, could be broken wire or faulty ignition switch.
Also there is a fuse which supplies +14V to the ignition switch, white/pink wire. Not sure which fuse, but if that is blown various other things will not work.
Remember that there is a pinion adjustment on these starters. Basically, with the starter solenoid energized but the motor not energized, the pinion should stop a bit short of smacking into the end of the housing. This is to ensure that the contacts inside the solenoid are what stops the motion and not the pinion. The solid whack of the contacts keeps them clean and makes reliable electrical contact. If misadjusted, the pinion hits first, the contacts only close lightly if at all, and electrical contact becomes iffy.
The pinion adjustment is via an eccentric pivot bolt. With the solenoid energized, loosen the nut, turn the bolt until the clearance is at the large end of the spec (!) and tighten the nut back down. Recommended to do on new and rebuilt starters prior to installation.
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And if it's the starter, I think I'd have a professional put it in. I'm pretty handy fixing things, but feel this might beyond my skills, especially without an experience person to talk me/show me through it.
Since your batteries were replaced (messed with) I suspect a loose connection. Check all connections from the battery all the way back to the starter. Btw, if the starter does anything at all it is not the starter relay (solenoid)
Is the alternator charging the battery? If the alternator is not working, the battery will discharge to keep engine running and eventually the battery will drain. If the boat starts after a charge or new battery, I would suspect the alternator.. While boat is running, put a multi meter on the battery and check voltage... anything under 13.0 volts and you have a charging issue
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